The tranquil Ashby Canal meanders through a very level, rural environment, and so needs no locks at all. It is the perfect destination for first-time boaters, or walkers in search of a gentle and pretty route.

Although it is named for Ashby-de-la-Zouch, the canal never reached the town. It winds peacefully through the countryside for almost the whole of its 22-mile length. Hedgerows and reeds add to a green landscape, rich in wildlife, including herons, kingfishers and moorhens.

Coarse fish species include bream, roach, chub and pike. From Snarestone to Carlton Bridge, the canal is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, supporting aquatic plant life and several varieties of dragonfly.

This unspoilt canal is also a gateway into medieval times. The ridge and furrow patterns created by medieval farmers can still be seen and the canal line touches the western edge of Bosworth Field, where Richard III met his match at the hands of Henry Tudor in 1485. The hawthorn bushes at Stoke Golding are said to be where Richard's crown was discovered following the battle

The Ashby Canal is 22 miles (35.4 km) long with no locks and runs from the Coventry Canal at Marston Junction to Snarestone. It was originally 30 miles long to a terminus at Moira but the northern 8 miles were progressively closed due to coal mining subsidence. It was planned as a broad canal and has wider bridges built to take barges but is nowadays used only by narrow boats, and some of the bridge holes have been narrowed. In recent years an isolated section of 1½ miles has been restored at Moira which can be accessed by trail-boats. This section includes a new lock built to wide beam dimensions.